I define minimalism as any activity that saves you time, space, resources, money, our planet, your health, or your sanity! This is the place to find out how to create a serene, easy lifestyle, no matter how chaotic your life may be now.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

If you're wondering about why I am interviewing an artist for my Minimalistic Lifestyle blog, it because this particular artist not only lives such lifestyle but her art is created from found objects she finds at the local dump in rural Vermont. Talk about sustainability!

The Minimalist:

What do you feel is most important about "found art" and how we relate to what we're told is no longer useful?

Interesting question. Honestly, what is important (to me) about found art is that it is abundant and usually free. That is important because I have to watch my money. It gets me out of the house and out of my head. It frees me up from trying to make art like everyone else. I'm not a trained artist, I can't pretend I know what I am doing. Found objects compliment my way of being an artist in that everything is open to interpretation. It doesn't have to “be” or “mean” anything. It is very freeing and challenging to work with objects that aren't SUPPOSED to be used this way or that way. As far as 'how we relate to what were told is no longer useful' ~I believe that seems to be challenged and changing rapidly. If anything the opposite seems to be happening yes? EVERYTHING is useful now. It is like some human life game, find the garbage and make it useful. Who can do it first. Who can do it fast. I'm not really into the environmental aspect of it, there is just a part of me that enjoys finding use for things that aren't obvious. I am aware of all the waste, there is a parallel line right next to the whole green living thing, and that line is about just being resourceful for the sake of not living a 'leaky life'. Letting things clutter, wasting your energy or the planet's energy isn't efficient on so many levels regardless of if there IS enough oil or air. It is satisfying to not need the ac blasting and to FEEL. We are always trying to feel something other than what we feel. If it is hot you want to cool off. If it is cold you want to heat up. We spend so much time trying to feel or not feel that we aren't even living.

I find my life works better if I have less to do and worry about. Less to keep up, less to clean. The less you have to deal with the easier it is to deal with yourself. I don't want to be distracted from living my life. So many things can do that. Too much sleep, food, alcohol, running around, buying, doing. I'm earnestly searching for a way to live my best life. Keeping it simple. Not buying into the 'American dream'. Peeling off all those layers that society and life foists upon you to the point of being one fat stinky onion. Who are we once you let go of what you are told to think/do/be? What if you didn't know about race/religion/politics/ what if you didn't have all that music in your head....what if you were born and raised without so much want and need? Without judgment and comparisons?